Jake Rich – Newtown

April 2017

Man jailed for ‘abducting’ boy, 13 and having ‘sexual activity’ with another underage teen

A paedophile, with a history of violence and sexual assault, has been jailed for 26 months for the abduction of a boy, 13 and for sexual activity with another teenage boy.

Jailing Jake Rich, 20 from Newtown, Judge Rhys Rowlands said: “It is quite plain to me you have no idea at all how to behave with young children.”

Prosecutor Anna Pope told Mold Crown Court Rich had befriended the 13-year-old boy from the north of England, described by his parents as vulnerable, while online and encouraged him to travel for six hours by train to meet him in Newtown, in December last year.

After the boy’s parents alerted police, the victim was discovered at the defendant’s flat in the town.

Rich denied any sexual interest in the boy despite admitting they had been naked in bed together.

He did however admit a charge of child abduction and two counts of sexual activity with another teenage boy who was known to him last year at an earlier hearing.

Rich was interviewed by police after the victim told social care staff of the encounters, Ms Pope said.

Sentencing Rich, Judge Rowlands said: “What is plain is the 13-year-old boy slept next to you, sharing the same bed as you.”

He also committed two sexual offences against another teenage boy, the judge added.

“You have got a very depressing number of convictions for violence and failing to adhere to court orders. The law is designed to protect children

“In determining both the nature and length of sentencing you are assessed as posing a very high risk of re-offending and of causing harm to children.”

The court heard that Rich had for robbery, violence and sexual assault.

Rich received two months for breaching a previous suspended sentence order, six months for the two counts of sexual activity with a child and 18 months for child abduction, to run consecutively.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and put on the sex offenders’ register, also for 10 years.

Judge Rowlands went on to criticise the Crown Prosecution Service for not bringing a charge of grooming against Rich.

He told prosecuting counsel Anna Pope: “I will be asking the CPS to issue a report into their investigation and why more serious charges were not put before the court.”